Inhibition of TNFα attenuates infarct volume and ICAM-1 expression in ischemic mouse brain

THE purpose of our study was to determine whether inhibiting the action of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) attenuates brain injury and reduces inflammatory responses in the mouse during ischemia and reperfusion. Mice underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 1 h followed by 23 h reperfusion. Monoclonal neutralizing anti-murine TNF alpha antibody (mAb) was administrated intraventricularly in the mouse with temporary MCAO. Infarct volume in the anti-TNF alpha mAb treated mice was significantly smaller than that in the control group (p<0.05). The number of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)-positive vessels in the ischemic area of the anti-TNF alpha mAb-treated group was significantly less than that in the control group. Our study demonstrated that blocking TNF alpha reduced brain injury and attenuated ICAM-1 expression during transient cerebral ischemia. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.